1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to crossbows and, more particularly, to an improved crossbow having and active finger guard mechanism.
2. Description of the Related Art
One of the common problems and safety issues with crossbow operation is that by design and nature the string of the crossbow moves back and forth in a horizontal plane unlike a conventional bow which moves its string along a vertical plane. The principles in which a crossbow is held are almost identical to that of a rifle or similar shoulder firearm. In fact, it would be easy to possibly confuse the appearance of the crossbow stock with that of a rifle. As such, the crossbow is held in almost the same identical manner.
In actual operation, a typical crossbow requires the use of both hands. The strong or dominate hand is usually placed in the area of the stock that is called the grip and is responsible for not only holding the stock but its primary role is to control the firing control mechanism. The weak or support hand is responsible for supporting, steadying and aiming or aligning the sighting system. This is well know and currently the common principles of most all forms of marksmanship. These principles of marksmanship facilitate that the support hand be in front of the strong hand and fire control system or trigger. Excepted principles of marksmanship also suggest that the closer the support hand can be to the center of the bore or plane that the projectile travels down the better and more accurate/stable the weapon can be aimed. When the hand is placed further from the center of the axis then the ability to roll or rotate during sighting is greater.
The well established danger with gripping the stock in its frontal position also known as the forend is that on a crossbow the hand and fingers are located under or below the path in which the string travels and back and forth during firing. When the crossbow is cocked or loaded the string of the crossbow is storing forward energy and when fired or released said string moves forward under tremendous force and speed back to its resting or uncocked position. It is very easy for most all crossbow users to inadvertently get his fingers or thumb from the support hand in the way of the string path which can cause great bodily harm and injury. Due to similarities in stock design and marksmanship principles and previous use and or experiences with rifles the crossbow user is at great risk. With rifles this danger does not exist because the support hand is well behind the muzzle or end that the projectile may exit where any potential risk could arise.
It is common, and a well known fact that parts of the support hand, digits and or thumb are frequently placed and left in the path of the string waiting to be impacted and or damaged when the string is allowed to be released forward during the natural and normal firing cycle. Crossbow manufactures continue to apply warnings directly to their products and to operation and safety manuals warning of the great potential danger.
Manufactures have tried to haphazardly address the problem by designing stocks or elements within their stocks that attempt to force or locate the support hand well below the string path. While this may offer a solution or aid in reducing the threat it is not desired by the end user or does it insure that the end user actually place his support hand in the designed area. The forend areas of the stocks have become very massive and heavy and are not comfortable to the end user and reduce the ability to correctly steady and aim the crossbow. Depressions, valleys, grooves and cavities have been incorporated into the stocks as well as raised rails, ribs and or flanges all in an attempt to hold the fingers and thumb out or below the path of the string.
Today's modern crossbows typically have draw weights in excess of 150 pounds and may be as high as 200 or more pounds of force and can easily be cocked by hand. Drawing the crossbow by hand is quick and does not require the use of time consuming aids and or complicated expensive accessories. One in the art would assume that a solution to keeping the fingers out of the string path would be to place a large flange outward from the stock for some length to block or guard the fingers from entering the string path. The problem with this type of approach is that it widens the track portion of the stock which the arrow sits in and is in the center of the string's path forward. If this area was to be widened over or above the proposed gripping area, which again there is no way to assure that the end user would actually grip the crossbow stock in the intended area, it would interrupt the smooth surface that is used as a guide to ensure the crossbow is cocked on center or symmetrical. As the string is drawn rearward the angle and or pinch placed on the hands and fingers becomes greater the further back. The addition of such a flange which would be wide enough and long enough to allow ample protection of the fingers throughout the string path would cause an excessive, almost unbearable pinch and pressure on the hands/fingers to the point that cocking the crossbow by hand would be impossible.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention. Of considerable relevance is U.S. Pat. No. 7,661,418, issued in the name of Bednar et al. While grip guard member that extends outwardly in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the is incorporated into this invention in combination, other elements are different enough as to make the combination distinguished over the inventors' own prior art.
Consequently, a need has been felt for providing an apparatus for and method of operating a crossbow in a safe manner.